These tips have also been featured by The Chester County Hospital on Twitter trending as #NutritionMonth. Share your own nutrition tips with us on Twitter : @cchosp.

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When you think of a “celebration,” you naturally think of the food and treats and goodies you will prepare. Celebrations are such joyous occasions, and a time when we typically relax our healthy eating “rules.” With food as a central feature of our lives … how do you celebrate “Nutrition Month,” which is all about food and treats and goodies, but not necessarily about over-indulging in them?

March is National Nutrition Month! According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, it is “designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.”

So, we present to you a celebration of ideas about food and treats and goodies! Here are 25 ways (written in Twitter’s signature 140 characters or less style) to incorporate healthier eating into your routine.

1. Most fad diets focus on initial weight loss, providing little ideas on extended weight maintenance, which is more important.2. While healthy good choices are key, it’s also important to eat the right amount of food. (Source: Everydayhealth.com)3. Can the Soda! Soda, sweetened teas, juice and other drinks can easily add 1000+ calories per day and impact body weight.4. Experts now believe that a lifetime of overeating sugar can make skill dull and wrinkled. (Source: Prevention Magazine)5. To lose weight you need to eat less calories. Decreasing by 500-1000 calories/day could result in a loss of 1-2 lbs/week.6. No time for a sit-down b-fast? Grab a whole-wheat mini-bagel w/peanut butter, hard-boiled egg, or a serving of cereal TO GO.7. A fruit smoothie made with fresh or frozen fruit and fat-free yogurt is a great snack alternative. 8. Breakfast eaters have higher test scores, more creativity, greater attention spans & better problem solving than skippers!9. Read the labels before you buy. Avoid foods that have some form of sugar or sweetener listed in the top three ingredients.10. Serve the proper portion and don’t go back for seconds so quickly. Wait several minutes to decide if you are really hungry.11. Avoid diet traps! Pass on bread, drink water, get a to-go bag first & eat healthy portions.12. Treat treats as treats! Nothing wrong with eating dessert on special occasions. Every day is not a special occasion.13. Save time + calories for snacks! Pre-portion your favorite fruits in snack bags at the start of the week. Just grab and go!14. Do all your eating at a table, so you pay attention to what you are eating and how much you consume.15. Keep it simple! Avoid eating food products containing ingredients that third graders cannot pronounce!16. Going to the grocery store can be stressful on your healthy-eating plan. To make it easier, make a shopping list and stick to it.17. At the food store, avoid impulse purchases. Start shopping at the outside aisle to avoid costly pre-packaged and processed foods.18. Don’t food shop when you’re hungry. Check nutrition labels to choose items containing the lowest amounts of fat and sodium.19. Healthy eating may budget friendly. Fruits/veggies can be less $ than some sweet/salty snacks. More nutrients for less $.20. “Breakfast like a king; lunch like a prince; dinner like a pauper!” Front-load your meals in the AM can result in less calories thru the day.21. Avoid saturated fat! Food labels can tell you how much saturated fat is in a product. The recommended level is < 3 grams/serving. 22. Studies show that eating breakfast within 1-2 hours of waking up actually increases the rate at which you burn calories throughout the day.23. Spend as much time enjoying your meal as it took to prepare it. Honor the Cook for the care put into the meal by slowing down to savor it.24. Chinese Proverb: “Eating what stands on 1 leg is better than eating what stands on 2 legs, which is better than eating what stands on 4 legs.”25. _________________________________________________

Give us tip #25! Leave a comment on the blog, the Hospital’s Facebook page or its Twitter feed to share nutrition tips that you’ve adopted into your life.